Dolley Payne was a Quaker child in Virginia when the Revolutionary War started. At its end, she and her family had moved to Philadelphia, the city that served as the capital during the war. Life in the city brought many changes to Dolley's life, including the failure of her father's business and, later, his death. Later in life, Dolley was married to John Todd and had two sons. Tragedy struck when yellow fever stole away her husband and one of her children. Alone, Dolley struggled to support herself and her only surviving son. In May of 1794, she caught the eye of James Madison. They were soon happily married and Madison became the Secretary of State when Jefferson took office, later becoming President. Known for her social graces and kindness, Dolley was a popular first lady. During the War of 1812, when the White House had caught fire, she had refused to leave until the portrait of George Washing ton had been removed. She risked her life to save that and other treasures left in the White House. Her grace, politeness, and bravery won her the hearts of the American people and made her a model for future first ladies to follow.

As someone who has never read about Dolley Madison, I found that this book took her life and made it very accessible. The important points of her life are described in great detail and I appreciate that they add quotes from Dolley herself. The end of the book holds a timeline to summarize all the events of her life. The book is very well organized and makes Dolley a likeable woman. I learned quite a bit about this first lady and I can see how she can be an inspiration to not only first ladies, but to all women in the world. Her kindness and bravery in the face of tragedy is amazing. Some chapters did feel like they were speculating in regards to dialogue and emotions, but overall a very informative book! ( )